I'm Getting Married?
by ceag94075
Summary: Yusei is a nonchalant bad boy that loves life free and on the edge. Akiza is a sweet yet feisty nature lover. The Fudo and the Izinski parents were not sure how to calm them down, but maybe if the four of them set up a little ‘play date'...
1. Chapter 1

*I decided to write a second story, just to see if everyone still likes my ideas

*It's a little complicated at first, but I'll clear things up over time! Enjoy!

Summary: Yusei is a nonchalant bad boy that loves life free and on the edge, but is constantly reminded that he's the son of the world famous R.R.D. lead developers. Akiza is a sweet yet feisty nature lover, unspoiled of her governmental parents' status and money. With Yusei as the Fudo's black sheep on the streets, and Akiza as the Izinski's innocent angel in an unpredictable world, their parents are constantly worried about their children's health. As if that wasn't enough, the only heirs to each house have zero interest in taking over the family businesses. The Fudo and the Izinski households were not sure how to calm their rebellious children down, but maybe if the four of them set up a little 'play date' with the possible couple....

**~City Boys~**

"Yusei, they're onto us!"

A group of young men were all kneeling on the floor, each of them positioned at a different window facing south. It was a dark and windy night, in an area of Neo Domino City that the streetlights can barely touch. The midnight hour cloaks the bleak alleyways in absolute darkness, the shadows almost as chilling as the howling wind. The men were in an old warehouse, abandoned by the city and left to shelter the rats and who-knows-what's that crawl in. Inside the make-shift residence was almost as dim and depressing as the outside. 

"Yusei, they're almost here!" A blue-haired boy whispers loudly to the man next to him, a biker-like teenager with black, spiky hair, streamed with golden-yellow. Yusei ignores the young man as he continues to whimper.

"Yusei!!!"

"Bruno! I heard you the first time!" Yusei snaps at him with a really pissed expression on his face, and then slowly turns back to the window. A muffled sound was seen in the distance, followed by red and blue lights flashing in the distance. "Those psychos are always on my tail! I can't shake them if my life depended on it! And it does."

A slightly taller boy shuffles from the window towards Bruno and Yusei. He's a handsome blonde dressed in a gray and white overcoat. He kneels on all fours next to Bruno, who is shaking uncontrollably out of fear. Yusei checks to see how far they are from him, and turns his attention to the blonde.

"Jack, what is it? Did you find an escape route?" Yusei states eagerly.

Jack rubs the back of his head nervously, avoiding his shorter leader's gaze. "Eh, sorry Yusei. All possible escape routes have been cut off. Blister, Kalin, and Crow all say that either the police have made road blocks, or there's too much trash in the streets to run away in time."

"Really?! Dammit! Looks like I'm gonna have to do this the old fashion way. "

Yusei dashes from the window and hops down the rusty staircase. With a concerned glance at each other, Jack and Bruno quickly followed after Yusei, wondering what he plans to do this time. They trio reach the landing and dash through an open door, the police racing down the last roadway to their hidey-hole. Yusei is about to run to another warehouse alleyway when a hand locks onto Yusei's arm and pulls him back forcefully. Yusei spins around with a start to meet a certain spiky haired red-head glaring back at him.

"Don't even think about it, Yuse!" The red-head half whispers, half growls at Yusei.

Yusei gently fights the boy grip. "Crow? Why aren't you-? Wha-"

Crow yells over the deafening sirens. "Enough is enough, Yusei! I don't understand why you're always running away from them! It's not like you did anything illegal..." Crow lets go of Yusei's arm, which is glaring back at the police cruisers. They have finally reached the warehouse clearing, encircling the entire building with cars and officers. Soon the outside of the dark warehouse was alive with clattering boots and head officers barking orders. The men retreat back into the building's center, cornered and unsure of what to do next. The only thing lighting the inside was an old swinging lamp with a single blinking bulb, flickering a dim light onto the ground. From the stairway, the remaining members rush down the stairs, not even bothering to sneak or stay quiet. One was a young man with long, silver hair and a black trench coat. The second one was an older man with short, chestnut hair and a 5 o'clock shadow. The small team of 5 circle around the so-called light, the police already scurrying on the sides of the building.

"This is it, man!" The silver haired teen starts, pointing fingers at Yusei. "It's gonna be the end for you, it's gonna be the end for me, but more importantly, it's gonna be the end for me!"

"Kalin, you're not helpin'!" Jack barks at the silver teen, and then turns to the older man. "Blister, is there any way that-"

"Save your breath, man." Blister interrupts coolly. "The po' got this place locked down tight. The only way left is the emergency manhole hatch in the basement, but I doubt that's a secret, anymore. We got about 2 options left."

Kalin turns to the window, and back to Blister. "Which is?" 

"One: We risk being arrested by helping the 'fugitive' escape through the manhole tunnel, which, as I said before, could be a trap."

"Or two?"

Jack speaks up, knowing what Blister was going to say. "Yusei turns himself in **again**, and spares us the possibility of being arrested for helpin' him."

Crow rushed to the window and yanks back the tattered curtains. "Yusei surrenders!!"

"Crow! Whose side are you on?!" Yusei pulls him away from the window and covers the window with the curtains. He then returns to his "team" and gives them orders.

"Alright! Okay. I understand that the situation has gone critical. But they're only after me, as always. So here's the deal. You guys take the manhole tunnel out of here, and I'll stay behind and go with them."

Bruno steps in, still shaken but concerned. "But Yusei, this is like the 4th time this month! When they catch you again, I got a felling that they won't let you go with a slap on the wrist this time."

"Don't listen to him, Yuse!" Crow pushes Bruno aside. "Go back! Take a breather from all this underground junk! We can always visit you again, if they let us see you anyways."

"Last time Crow. Shut up!" Yusei shouts.

Yusei and company are then startled by a blaring voice through a megaphone. It was coming from one of the police officers. "Yusei Fudo! Come out with your hands up. You will not be harmed." As the team crowds around a window, they see a tall, dark figure standing in the clearing. He was wearing a pure white shirt, dark blue jeans, and holding a white and blue megaphone. There was a second person there, a young light woman with blue hair and a blue blazer over a white dress. She was standing next to the taller officer.

"Officer Trudge and Inspector Mina? Again?" Yusei complains. "Why did they have to call them? Mina, I can tolerate, but Trudge?"

"C'mon Yusei. You know he's offered quite a pretty penny just to care about you. Cut him some slack. It's not easy being second-in-command." Teased Kalin.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha. You rascals get outta here. I'll be fine." He picks up a familiar looking megaphone from the floor next to the window. "I'll chat them up for about 5 minutes, and then I'll go with them. You all have until then to disappear. I'll catch up with you boys later."

The others wish him luck and hurry to a secondary floor staircase, heading towards the underground basement. Crow, the last one, turns back to Yusei. "Wow, Yusei!" He teases while batting his eyes. "You're soo brave! I hope they go easy on you! Call me!" Then Crow jumps down the hole, laughing. Yusei grins and gets up from the window, heading for an open doorway. He walks out to the lighted clearing with one of his hands raised above his head, and the megaphone to his lips in the other hand. He was about 25 feet from the nearest officer, and didn't plan to come any closer, so he used the loudspeakers to talk.

"Good evening, Mr. Trudge. Good evening, Ms. Mina. What's up?"

Trudge grinds his teeth out of sheer anger and yells into the blowhorn. "Don't give me that bull you reject of society! This is the 10th time we had to hunt you down in three months! If you wasn't a Fudo I would-!?" He's cut off as Mina grabs the loudspeaker from Trudge, and then picks up the conversation from there. "Yusei! What he means to say is, there's no reason to run anymore, so please come back! It's dangerous for you out here!"

Yusei gives them a hard glare before responding. "No! I can take care of myself! I'm not some pampered little puppy that enjoys sitting in the big house all day!"

"Please Yusei! Don't make this any harder than it has to be!"

Yusei smiles to himself. "Actually, I kinda like doing things the hard way. It gets your blood boiling and stimulates the mind! This is the most excitement Social Security has had in a long time! Anyways, I'll come over when I'm ready!"

Mina puts down the megaphone as Trudge whispers to her. "No! He always says no! Sometimes I wonder why we even bother! That ungrateful runt is disgracing the Fudo family's good name! I say we book him for that!"

"We only 'book him' if he's done something criminal! He's just a teenage runaway, Trudge. We're not dealing with a real fugitive!"

"Not yet! The running, the hiding, this is just practice to him for a real stunt. All a game! It took us ten days to find him at this dump! By the time he turns 20, he'll be on America's Most Wanted just for vanishing into thin air!"

Mina sighs depressed. "I never understood why he's like this. He has a good home, and parents who look out for him. I just don't understand why he's so..."

"Alright! I'm coming" came his voice.

Trudge and Mina look up in shock as Yusei slowly walks towards them, arms raised with the megaphone. He's been timing the whole thing ever since the boys left. It's already been 6 minutes, the extra minute for good measure. The others should be halfway to the sea by now. Yusei strolls calmly to the commanders, smiling all the way. The closer he got the angrier Trudge became. All the police officers circle around him, some armed with nightsticks, others with handcuffs ready.

Yusei walks up to Trudge, inches from his face. Trudge growls furiously as Yusei wordlessly teases him. An officer comes up behind Yusei and takes both his arms, gently pulling them behind his back. Yusei never stops smiling at Trudge as the officer handcuffs his wrists. "Careful!" Yusei turns his head to the subordinate. "You're dealing with precious cargo." The officer gulps and gently pushes him to an awaiting police car.

Yusei stops halfway. "One second, sir?" Yusei teases. The officer blinks at him. "I promise I won't fight. Oh, chauffer!" At this point, Trudge was blinking and twitching with rage. He knows Yusei was talking at him. With popping blood vessels, he rushes to face us within a blink of an eye. Mina rushes next to him, afraid that Trudge might do something regrettable. "Oh, calm down officer." Yusei chuckles. "I'm not going to spit at you. I trust my parents are 'worried sick' about me, or something like that."

"You bet they are!" Trudge blares at him so loud, Yusei's black spiky hair actually flings back from the wind coming out of his mouth. Yusei is not scared at all, unlike the officer behind him."Between their hard-earned jobs and you running around this city like a street rat, they'll be so worried, it'll kill them!!!"

Yusei pretends to sigh. "Oh, dear. What have I done. I should be ashamed of myself. Oh, what to do, what to do." Trudge is starting to foam at the mouth. "Alright. I'll go back to my squishy home. Always a pleasure, Mina. Remember to breathe, Trudge. Take me away, boys." The officer leads Yusei to the open car. He's slowly placed in the back seat and shuts the door behind him. The cruiser starts up and drives quickly through an open clearing in the blockade, leaving Trudge shooting daggers through his eyes. A lot of daggers.

"Trudge, please calm down." Mina states. "As soon as his parents speak with him, he'll be off the streets for a while. I don't understand why you're getting so worked up over nothing."

Trudge wipes the foam from his face. "It's not just 'nothing' Mina. He's always taunting me, ridiculing me, knowing I can't do anything because he's the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fudo! Curse him, curse him!" Trudge rambles on as he makes his way to his car, barking and snarling at anybody who looks at him strangely. The officer who handcuffed Yusei comes to Mina, saluting and standing straight.

"Ms. Mina." The officer states. "Reports state that Yusei will be back at Fudo Manor at the other side of the city by sunrise."

Mina turns to the officer. "Thank you. Call the parents and tell them that we found their son, again." She turns to Trudge, who is still steaming from the ears. "And, uh, get some coffee and food for Commander Trudge. He needs something to calm him down."

Seeing Trudge stomp around like a madman, the officer gulps. "Right away, m'am."


	2. Chapter 2

*Thank you for your replies. It seems that a lot of people enjoy my sense of humor

*Don't forget to write back if the story gets a little confusing. Enjoy!

**~Country Girls~**

Neo Domino Botanical Gardens was the only place where she actually felt safe. The city exterior was always loud and crowded with countless people and shadowing buildings, nothing but multiple colors of gray, black, blue, and whatever was lucky enough to be shown through the buildings. The gardens were different. There was no hard concrete or oversized metal towers to block out the sun. The ground was soft grass and stepping stones, and the only thing that shadows her from the sun was the natural trees that soak in the rays as she lay underneath the leaves, listening to the lullabies the leaves whispered to her as she slept on her side on the blanket of grass and the sturdy trunk. The flowers filled her noses with gentle scents and aromas, better than any cloudy perfume or odd-scented candle that she has ever heard of. To an all-natural woman like Akiza Izinski, this was her safe haven. This was what it felt like to be alive.

"AAH! MY FOOT!"

Akiza opened her eyes. _Well, there goes my nap._ She blinked dryly.

As Akiza sat up from her green bed, she blinked back the sleep from her eyes as 2 figures stood at the bottom of the hill she was on. Well, they were more like fighting than standing. She stands to her full height, brushing fresh leaves out of her long bright red hair and dusting off her usual outfit. As she looks down the hill, Akiza realizes that one of the girls has fallen into a rabbit hole surrounded by grass and small stones. She tries fruitlessly to yank her foot out, but the rocks are making that task rather hard.

She was a mousy young teen with long bluish-black hair, and round swirly glasses that completely covered her eyes. She cries complaints as the second female kneeled and was pulling her ankle roughly, trying to free her amusing friend. She was a beautiful older teen with long blond hair and light skin. Both girls were wearing warm shirts and jeans, but the mousy girl was also wearing a yellow vest. Akiza giggled to herself as her closest friends struggle with a simple rabbit hole.

"You know I can hear you, Akiza!" The blonde barked furiously. "Can you spare us any more humiliation and help your friends?" As Akiza rolls her eyes and starts down the hill, the blonde continues to twist the other's ankle.

"Oww! Sherry," The trapped girl complains, "can you please be a little more gentle? If you twist too hard, I might hurt something!"

"**I'm **gonna hurt something if I find whatever dug this hole, Carly!" Sherry claws at the hole with one hand as Akiza calmly walks to her troubled friends. Akiza giggles some more as she kneel at the hole. "Oh, Sherry." She begins happily. "You can't blame an innocent rabbit for trying to make itself a home. Besides, it was an accident. Right, Carly?" Akiza moves a stone behind Carly's ankle, and her foot pops right out. Blinking back amazed, Carly straightens herself and laughs nervously. "Ha-ha! Right, Akiza!"

Sherry and Akiza inspect Carly's leg and, seeing as she's alright, start down the hill. "You know Akiza," Sherry says, "if you just stay in this giant park all day, you might miss out on something really big!" Akiza looks at her sly friend questionably as she continues. "I mean, life's too short to live, and there's plenty of time to sleep under a tree when you're old. Carly and me were coming here to see if you want to go to the mall with us. There's this brand new one over in the middle of Neo Domino, not too far from here. What do you say?"

Carly jumps in excitedly. "Yeah, c'mon Akiza. They have all of these stores and new places to shop and everything! We need new outfits for the Moonflower Ball coming in two weeks, and I was hoping one of you could help me pay for a fancy new dress."

Akiza smiles and wraps her arms around Carly and Sherry. "Sure! I love to come! I'm always happy to help you shop 'til you drop, but can I show you both something first?"

Before either one could reply, Akiza nudged her two reluctant friends to a flowery meadow near the front entrance. The three stop at a small tree sprout, barely leafing and only 3 feet tall. Akiza moves from the girls and sits down in front of the tree, apparently staring at something. "Come look! It's still here!" she states. Carly blinks at the tree as Sherry moves next to Akiza, curious to see what she's looking at.

"Uh, Akiza?" Sherry states. "What are we suppose to be looking at?" By now, Carly is in a sitting position next to Akiza, inspecting every leaf on the small tree for anything unusual.

"Don't you two see it?" Akiza asks.

They respond together. "Where?"

"There!"

"**Where?**"

"There! There! Over there!" Akiza points to a small, clear bulb dangling from a leaf. It appears to be twitching slightly, and something black and orange was inside. Akiza smiles. "Isn't it a miracle!"

Sherry blinks at Akiza, then at the small object. "Soo, we're suppose to see a big...bulgy...leaf!? Not exactly a miracle worker, but whatever makes you happy, nature girl."

Akiza snaps back. "It's not a leaf, Sherry! It's a chrysalis!"

Carly blinks again. "A crissy-what?"

"Here we go..." Sherry sighs

"A chrysalis! A butterfly cocoon! I was waiting all month for this little beauty to hatch. I came earlier, but the butterfly wasn't ready yet, so I decided to take a rest underneath my favorite tree. I must've fallen asleep again."

"Oh." Carly says as the transparent bulb shakes violently. The 3 friends watch as the cocoon shakes even more, the butterfly struggling with its own protective covering. Akiza grins with excitement while Carly looks on, but Sherry seems so bored, she's drifting to sleep. Carly starts again. "Akiza?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you always fall asleep underneath the same tree?"

Akiza looks at Carly odd. "What? What do you mean?"

Carly shifts back defensively. "I'm just saying! I've noticed that you don't sleep anywhere else in this whole park except, well, under that exact same tree! I was just curious, that's all."

Akiza digests the question for a while, and then it hits her. "Oh, that's right! I remember that my mother would sometimes take me to that exact tree when I was a baby. When I got to fussy, she would sing me a lullaby underneath that tree until I fell asleep. I guess it did something to me overtime."

Carly stood up. "Oh! That's cute! So because you feel safe under that tree as a kid, you still feel safe under that tree as an adult! That's so cool!"

Sherry is trying _really _hard not to fall asleep. "'YAWN!' Fascinating..." She checks her watch. "Is this thing going to hatch soon? We're burning daylight!"

Akiza steps up. "Shh! Shh! It's hatching!"

The paper-thin cocoon splits open from the bottom, revealing two pairs of crumbly wings that spread open. The small body of the black butterfly crawled to the top of the leaf, flapping her wings as it inched to the top of the sapling. As the girls stand, the butterfly flaps its wings quicker and quicker. Then, finally the butterfly hopped to the air, fluttering happily around the girls. It flew high up over the sapling, over the trees, seemingly over the park. Akiza and her friends watch it until it was out of sight.

Sherry blinks again, and checks her watch. "Wow, so beautiful. Alright, come on!" She grabs Akiza's arm and drags her to the exit. Carly rushes up to Sherry. "It's time for you to try on clothes and smell some fresh mall food!"

"Oh, alright!" Akiza sighs as she picks up the pace. "By the way, how are my parents? Did they say anything to you to tell me?"

"Yes, actually!" Carly states. "A message: Be home by 10 o'clock!"

"Yeah, and it's already 3:37, and a half!" Sherry complains. "Hurry up, you two! We only got less than 7 hours of fun!"

Akiza giggles. "I get it, Sherry! No more stalling! So, what do we need from the mall, again."

Carly and Sherry turn back to their gentle friend and shout "DRESSES, AKIZA! DRESSES!"

Akiza rolls her eyes again. "I'm sorry I asked!"

*That's all for the leading man and leading lady.

*Now you pretty much know how these two tick. Write me back!


	3. Chapter 3

**~Returning Home~**

The police sirens screech down the vacant highway as the morning sun is just peaking over the urban horizon. The cars race away from the morning sun up a straight road, out of the city to what appears to be an enclosed area. The organized line of five police cruisers escalade through the street as the path narrows out to the open, the endless road ahead directing the escorts through a wooded forest. Their destination was visible even from 5 miles away, a large brick-red Victorian mansion at the middle of the endless forest. The police escorts drift up the road at top speed, racing an unknown clock to reach their destination. Inside the 3rd cruiser, heavily guarded by the remaining four, Yusei rests in the back seat as the driving officer silently chauffeurs him up the passageway. Yusei's eyes were closed, but by the impatient twitching of his leg, one can tell he's anything but rested.

"I can't believe my parents asked for an escort back home, again!" Yusei says out loud to himself, but loud enough for his driver to hear him. "I mean, it's not like they have anything to worry about. I call them once every few days; just to put them at ease. I'm not selling drugs or doing any-possible-thing illegal, unless fixing bikes is against the law know. Is it, officer?" Yusei asks.

She glances at him through the rear-view mirror. "No, sir. As far as I know, you are not in any trouble. They orders we were given was to find you alive and bring you back to Fudo Manor. No arrests, no force, no trip to the county jail."

Yusei sits up in shock. "Alive?! What did those two think I was doing, jumping off a bridge?!? Mina can believe I wouldn't try anything stupid, but Trudge is a different story. Sometimes I wonder how such a hothead got into the force! Probably scared all the competition away with his foaming-at-the-mouth trick."

The officer accidentally snickered and burst into a muffled laugh. She was imagining Commander Trudge barking at the senior officers with red eyes and steam coming out of his nose, telling them what would happen to the force if they didn't give him his promotion.

Yusei hears the quiet laugh and snickers. "I see that Trudge is really popular for his demeanor. I pray he isn't working the whole division to the ground? Or worse."

The officer calms herself down before answering back. "'Ha-ha!' N-No, sir. Chief Mina and Commander Trudge are both excellent leaders, the best of their kind. Ever since both of them were promoted last year for their skills, the crime rate in Neo Domino has dropped by 24%!"

"Well! That's quite a lot! But why do you officers bother to fuss over me? Bored? With all the real danger off the streets, don't you think that makes it safe for us rich cats to see the outside world for a change? Don't tell me that Trudge actually cares for my safety!"

"Not him, sir! It's your parents who are worried sick! You really shouldn't run off of the property like that." The officer glares at him through the mirror. "Mr. and Mrs. Fudo have worked hard their entire lives just so they can promise a bright future for you, their only son! If you were any grateful at all, you wouldn't be running around these dangerous streets without supervision Yus-...! Ah! Excuse me...sir."

Yusei smiles coyly at this and leans back, pleased to make a normal conversation with somebody new. "Don't excuse yourself. Yes, I do deserve a tongue-lashing, but mother and father would never go at **me** like that. Why? I'm not really sure. Sometimes I wish they would be a little stricter with me."

The cruiser line pulls up to the encircled front driveway, arranged so Yusei's car stops at the front staircase. Trudge and Mina exit the lead car and shuffle to Yusei's car as the other officers exit their cruisers, saluting both of them as they stop at the middle car. The officer driving Yusei's car salutes to her commanding officers first, and then opens the backseat door. Yusei steps out nonchalantly and, not bothering to wait for any orders, moves in between Trudge and Mina and makes his way to the front door.

At the top of a cream colored semi-circled staircase, 2 elderly butlers were positioned on either side of a bronze 2-door archway. As if by impulse, they open the double-doors leading to the shimmering hallway of the manor. The butlers bow and speak in unison, "Welcome home, Master Yusei." and await any orders. The doors were wide enough to just make out the beautifully carves dome ceiling and the red velvet carpet from the bottom of the steps. Yusei towers the staircase slowly and turns around at the landing.

"Trudge! Mina!" Yusei shout, "I trust you would be giving everyone a raise or some form of reward for wasting their time with me! As you can see, I'm not returning 'home' a broken man."

Trudge grinds his teeth painfully slow. "Only in my dreams, Yusei! If you could so much as spring your ankle, you'd be out of my hair for a month! Then maybe you would inherit the company faster and be stuck in a lab for the rest of your life!"

Yusei chuckles. "Mmm, true. But until that happens, pick me up around the same time, say, about 3 weeks from Tuesday. I'll be waiting for you at the movies downtown." He winks and walks in calmly, the butlers following him in and shutting the doors. Mina can only sigh as 2 officers hold Trudge back, who threatens to break the doors down and strangle Yusei.

In the back, Yusei's chauffer chuckles quietly, mortified that someone might hear her.

-_**Inside Fudo Manor-**_

Yusei follows the butlers down the hallway, neither of them muttering a word of any kind. There was a few more butlers and maids in the hall, but most of them were too busy to pay attention. A bypassing worker would say "Good day, sir" or "Welcome, young master" and offer him any assistance or an exotic treat. Yusei shoos them away and just follow the butlers to the end of the hall. They step aside and bow as the wall opens up, revealing a private elevator, gold and silver plated flooring and complete with a personal elevator operator. Yusei steps inside and the elevator shuts with a silent clank, the operator pulling a lever and the elevator rises through the building. "Next stop, Master Yusei's penthouse room." said the operator.

Yusei didn't even bother to say anything or open his mouth. _It wouldn't be nice to interrupt their work. They would rather count my money than count how many days I've been gone. Not like they would care what happens to me._ Yusei stares at the polished ceiling sadly, staring deep into the eyes of his own reflection. _I miss the outside world already. I miss it soo much._ The elevator stops and Yusei rushes out and makes his way down a hallway identical to the floor hall. Two guards open a pair of smaller double-doors that lead to an enclosed bedroom.

"Master Yusei," states one of the guards, "your parents would like to let you know that you are forbidden from leaving the Fudo Manor until further notice. It is of the highest importance."

Yusei blinks at the message. _Apparently, I better be careful what I wish for, next time. _Yusei glares at the guards hard. "And **why **is it so important that I don't leave this place?"

The guard sweat drops and clears his throat, never looking up at his young liege. "Your father is on the phone in your bedroom as we speak, sire. He is on speaker and will give you the details when you enter." With an unhappy grimace, Yusei moves past him through the doors.

As Yusei enters the room, he is greeted with a king-sized bed with clean white sheets and a silk comforter. The remaining room included a HD 81-inch TV, a work desk with a wall covered with high-speed internet computers, a private patio, a walk-in closet with countless clothes and accessories inside, and a gold floor lined with imported fake-fur carpeting. As Yusei crawls into the heavenly bed, there was a cordless house phone laying in the middle of the bed. He didn't want to talk right now, but he really didn't have a choice.

"Hello?" Yusei talks to the phone as he closed his eyes, obviously exhausted.

"Yusei!" A strong yet foreworn voice answers him. "Thank goodness you are alright! Where have the officers found you in this time!? Some box in a dark alley? I bet beaten to a pulp by those 'friends' of yours."

Now that woke Yusei right up! "Dad! They're good people. Really good people. They're almost as protective of me as you and mom."

"Well, at least you are safe."

"I wasn't in any danger, dad."

"Fine, fine. Anyways, your mother and I are at the lab, working on a new type of purity energy reactor. This one is smaller and moves faster, so maybe that it will give off more energy for the city! This will work, but only if we could just scramble the atoms gently enough to..."

Yusei rolls his eyes. "Dad."

"Wha-? Oh! Right. A-hem. About your punishment. I have been talking to your mother, and she believes that the main reason for your rebellious behavior is due to the fact that you refuse to get along with other peers."

"That's ridiculous. Who do you think the people I hang out are? Future employees?"

"Not what I meant. You have a knack for making friends out of the shadiest people I've ever seen, Yusei. Remember when you introduced us to Mr. Tanner?"

"He only looks tough, dad! And that was a twice-hung jury! He's like a, uh...bear."

"The cute little stuffed teddy bear or the 1300 pound brown bear that could rip you face off?"

Yusei snickers. "I think we both know the answer to that, 'daddy'."

"Tear-off-your-face bear it is."

Yusei sighs and rolls over, taking the phone and placing it on the pillow next to him. "So, how long am I grounded for? A month?"

"Actually, two months! But your mother has other plans, my son. She has been invited to a little dinner party being held by Director Goodwin taking place tomorrow night, and she has just been informed that she has permission to bring me along. And by me, I mean me and you."

"What!" Yusei sits up, staring at the phone in disbelief. "I'm suppose to force a grin on and attend some boring rich party!? You want me to break down and cry, don't you!?!"

"Yusei! There will be other parents there, bringing their children there as well. Some of them who are your age. Who knows, you might be able to make a new friend, there. Someone with the same demeanor, hobbies, interests,-"

"-And social class?" Yusei interrupts.

"I never said that. Please Yusei, just be ready for the party. It would make your mother very proud, and you will help strengthen a relationship with the good Director Goodwin and Sector Security! "

Yusei is silent for a minute, checking his gloves. "I don't know, pops. I could just bust outta here like the last time. Climb out the balcony, shimmy down the fragile vines, trek 3 miles in dangerous woods in the middle of the night..."

"Do this, and I will shorten your 'sentence' to five weeks."

"Two weeks."

"One month."

"12 days."

"Three weeks, exactly. And, you have to spend 'family time' with us!"

Yusei looks at the phone as if it was his father. "Deal."

"Then it's settled! Dress in casual attire and be ready by 3 pm tomorrow. A limo will take you to the party. Bye for...what?" The phone is silent for a few minutes. "Oh, okay! Your mother and I send you hugs and kisses. What? No! Dear, please! (Grumble) I...I love you and miss you very, very, very much my little... little...Einstein. "

Yusei stares at the phone. "What?!"

"LOVE YOU SON BYE!" The phone clicks loudly and the dial tone goes off.

Yusei stares at the phone in absolute shock. After a full minute, he picks up the phone and clicks the off button. He stares at the open window, the morning sun rising higher in the sky. "He hasn't said that since I was a, a baby." Yusei then bursts out laughing, rolling on the comforter and tearing up. "T-T-Thank God to dad! Ahahahah! That was the name mom was going to give me! Sheesh!" Yusei rolls over and stares out into the sunrise.

"Don't worry, mom and dad. I'll behave." The golden yellow sunlight brushes gently on his face, reflecting his sapphire-blue eyes." But will something interesting happen at this party? Will I meet anyone...interesting?"

*I think we all know the answer to that! Please write me back!"


	4. Chapter 4

**~Parental Advice~**

"I can't find anything to wear!"

Carly ran around Akiza's walkthrough closet, carefully inspecting every fabric of precious and valuable dress that was her size. There was tons of fancy morning, afternoon, and evening gowns lined neatly in rows that stretch through the seemingly endless hallway. The multiple colors and unique cloths from every inch of the dresses seem to shimmer with a light that radiant from nothing but them. Akiza can only sit at the edge of her golden-colored bedspread and smile at her mousy friend. She was wearing an extravagant crimson red dress with evergreen shoes and a matching purse. Carly, on the other hand, was dressed in nothing but underwear and a towel.

"You know, there are people out there who would kill just to _touch_ these kinds of dresses." Carly takes a beautiful imperial blue and silver dress and gently places it on the bed next to Akiza. She inspects the back tag and the price tag that was still attached to it. "Ah! I could pay off my electric bill for half a year with the money you used to pay for this!"

Akiza takes the gown and shows it up to her amusing friend. "I know, I know. By the way, you can buy a new car with the shoes I'm wearing right now! But here." She takes the dress and slips it over Carly's head. It slipped down through her thin body and covered her elegantly, the towel dropping to the floor. The blue dress hugged her curves gently, and Akiza takes out from her closet matching blue shoes that appear to have been made just for that dress. She kneels before Carly and slip on each high heel to her feet.

"I wonder how you do that, Akiza." Carly states with a hidden grin. "Always be considerate of others while at the same time being an Izinski!"

Akiza finishes and quickly sits up. "What's that suppose to mean?!"

"Nothing! Nothing! It's just that I've figured that governmental families were always uncaring and a little bit harsher than others. I figure because your father is this city's prized senator, he was also like a military sergeant. Oh, and thank you oh so much for the outfit!"

"You're welcome." Akiza smiles about this as she slips on her shoes, and then quickly walks to the door. "Just because my father's a senator, does not mean he is strict. Neither is mother. Anyways, that's just the type of person I am, Carly. Now come on, let's go!" She disappears through the beautiful door and rushed down the hallways. With Carly trailing her several steps behind, she moved quickly down the two flights of stairs before reaching the bottom and dashing out the door. A black limousine awaited her, along with the chauffer that had the door to the back seat open and ready. Akiza steps calmly into the car, scooting over so that Carly could enter as well. The driver shuts the door and rushes to the driver's seat, slowly driving the car out of the Izinski's long front yard. He has memorized the route to the party given to him from Akiza's parents and knows exactly where to go.

Akiza was chatting up a storm in the back while Carly just sat there and smiles, catching her breath thanks to her preppy friend's sprint down the steps. She was amazed how fast Akiza could run in high heels. "I can't believe Director Goodwin invited us to his special party! This is really exciting! Don't you think? Carly?"

Carly was still gasping for air from the marathon. Her feet ached and she felt a little dizzy. "Yeah (gasp) I can't (cough-cough) believe it either. What's the (gasp-gasp) occasion?"

"Oh, who knows? My parents were invited only yesterday, and passed the message on to me if I wanted to come. I replied to them 'yes' over the phone, but I'm not sure if they got the message or not." Akiza sighs and Carly only stares. As Akiza continued, her mind seemed to drift away. "Mom is always traveling with dad to support his political career, and the two of them are normally gone for weeks at a time. They talk to me on our private number, for some sort of security reason, but it would be nice to see them again after they've been away for almost two months."

Carly sits up in the seat. "Two months!? Really? Now that I think back, whenever I visit your home, I barely saw Mr. and Mrs. Izinski. I saw their pictures and met them a few times over the years, but…" Carly didn't know the next thing she's supposed to say.

"Yeah, they're trying to solve some finance bill on the floor that all the senators are worried about. It's supposed to really change a lot of lives, but sometimes, I would trade everything just to spend some quality time with them." Akiza stares at the car floor as Carly looks on, concerned about her usually bubbly friend. "Carly, I really hope they're at this party! I really want them to be there!"

Carly gives Akiza a hug. "Don't worry, Aki! I'm sure they'll be there! Let's just enjoy the ride 'til we get to the party. Okay?"

Akiza gives a warm smile to her friend. "Okay! Thanks a lot for coming, Carly. It really means a lot to me. It's too bad that Sherry didn't want to come. She said she couldn't make it tonight."

Carly rolls her eyes. "Ah, her loss! She also said she was too busy with some private matter that came up, so we shouldn't trouble her. Just remember to send her some overpriced cheese or something." Both girls laugh as they are already halfway to the exclusive celebration.

**~Goodwin's Mansion~**

The ballroom marble floor was alive with people wearing all sorts of luxurious and posh evening wear; all of them either in regularly dressed attire to them, or new clothes bought from exclusive stores for this special occasion. The walls were lined with elegant paintings and exotic pottery from different styles and cultures, giving the ballroom a sort of museum atmosphere. In one corner was a live orchestra of flutes, violins, and trumpets that played gentle music to entertain the audience. Caterers circulated around the wide room, serving small entrées on silver platters. There was also an entire buffet table filled with unusual dishes and hot foods. Many of the guests were talking amongst themselves, waiting for the man of the hour to arrive to his own party.

Yusei was at the top of a grand staircase, looking down at the rest of the restless guests. He was dressed in a typical yet high-class tuxedo, black with golden silk around his sleeves. This was his favorite suit to wear during these types of occasions. Actually, it was the only suit he chooses to wear.

"I can't believe mom and dad talked me into this." Yusei sighs. "Then again, it was mostly dad who did the negotiations for the both of them. I better get down there and find them."

Yusei quickly shuffles down the steps and moves swiftly through the crowd. The only thing he disliked more than being noticed in this type of crowd was the thought of actually having a boring conversation with one of them. He shivered at the thought. The last time he was at one of these social gatherings, he and his parents were forced to listen to some chubby oil tycoon go on and on about his new diet, and how he was going to attract a lot of women when he was through. His parents were interested in his new weight loss plan, but their son would rather play Russian roulette with a machine gun.

Before Yusei knew it, he bumped into the back of a tall and familiar figure. As he staggers backwards a little, the figure turns around to face Yusei. He straightens his white lab coat by the neck as his blue eyes stared at Yusei, leaving him speechless. His dark brown hair gently spiked out of his head, complementing his tan brown skin. Suddenly, with a smile and open arms, he scooped Yusei into a gridlock hug.

"Yusei! Son! You made it! I thought you would've run away again." When he began to grunt complaints, Hakase Fudo quickly released Yusei, but he was caught by behind by another figure. She was a slender female with light brown hair, porcelain skin, and rosy cheeks.

"Oh shnookums, there you are! I thought you might've gotten hurt or something!" Nori Fudo hugged Yusei by the neck as he struggled vainly; he was fearful that someone might see his mother kissing him in the back of the head. "You look so handsome in your favorite tux! Oh, my little man. Ooh, my sweet little Einstein!" Mr. Fudo snickers in the background.

"Ma!" Yusei whispered through his teeth, "Name. Hugs. Kisses. Public place. EMBARRASEMENT!"

"Oh! Sorry sweetie!" She lets go of Yusei and helps him straighten his hair, brushing down the loose ends furiously. "I'm just glad you made it back home safely! Some parents find their eighteen year old children dead on some street corner or addicted to some new over-the-counter drug or-"

Yusei grabs Mrs. Fudo's wrists gently. "Mom! Relax. I'm fine. I'm not only intelligent, but also street wise. A perfect combination, I might add. Besides, not everybody out there who isn't rich or like you people are evil."

Mr. and Mrs. Fudo exchanged looks. Mr. Fudo steps up. "We know you can see the true value in a person, and we know you're smart enough to maneuver your way through the roughest part of Domino, but your mother and I just worry that you…uh…"

Yusei raises an eyebrow at his father. He glances at Mrs. Fudo, but she isn't saying anything. "Just what, dad."

Mr. Fudo edges away from his son. Sometimes, Yusei would give him a glare that would scare the skin right off of his back. "Well, that we, mostly your mother, think you may sometimes bite off more than you can chew."

"What! Don't be ridiculous, pops! When I leave those castles, I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm not afraid of bogeyman or whatever else goes 'bump' in the night."

This made Mr. Fudo a little irritated. "My boy, this isn't about bedtime nightmares! We just want you to stay put inside the safety of the manor for more than one month, one month, from snipers! And, for you to do that without us having to ground you to your room! There is just as much excitement at home as there is in the streets."

"Your father has a point, Yuse." Said Mrs. Fudo, "It's dangerous out there, some places more than others. There are lots of enemies that may want to kill you for revenge or hatred towards us. We just want you to live out your life normal and peacefully.

Yusei chuckled. "Look, dad and mom. Three things. One: As long as there is no one there but butlers and servants, I will never find anyone interesting to hang out with. Two: If I don't get out of the manor and know the streets like the back of my hand, I will never be able to defend myself from real threats. Think of it as a cross between karate and street fighting. Three: If there was a threat, which I highly doubt there is, I don't see why they would go after the son of the man who kills his brain just to light this city day in and day out."

Nori looked depressed while Hakase just rolled his eyes. "Everyone has enemies, Yusei."

"And they sure like to take their sweet time trying to kill me." Yusei motions over to an open balcony, the only place where there were less people. "If you would excuse me, I'd like to be alone for the rest of the evening. If you call me, I'll only come when we're going home."

Mr. and Mrs. Fudo look on as their alienated son leaves the party to the open balcony. "Well, look on the bright side." Mr. Fudo says, "At least he considers the Manor his home."

*And, there you go. I chose a random real name for Mrs. Fudo. Her being one of the main characters, she had to have a first name! If you know of her real name, email me back!


	5. Chapter 5

**~Party Crashers~**

Five minutes ticks by as slow as an hour as Yusei continues to rest his head on the flat surface and stare at the full moon. The night was nice and warm, and the solid stone balcony eventually grew on him. Yusei didn't hear any commotion or any loud noises coming from inside, so it's safe to say that nothing has changed since he left. Big #*&%$ surprise! Yusei groaned loudly and buried his face into the marble stand.

_Where the __heck__ is Goodwin? I mean, who shows up late to their own party?! This thing must be so dull, even Rex could bore himself to death! Augh, waste of my life! I want action! I swear, if something doesn't happen to me in the next 10 seconds I'm gonna-?_

There's a tap on Yusei's shoulder. He shutters at first, but then he doesn't bother to try to turn around. Poor Yusei was that bored; he **hoped** a hired sniper came to take his life.

Yusei moaned and continued to stare at the moon. "If you're here to kill me, get it over with. If your gun doesn't slay me, Goodwin's boring get-together will."

"You're wrong, Mr. Fudo. Actually, we came to amuse ya!" came a thick yet easily disguised voice. Yusei turned his head leisurely to see an odd, tall man wearing a loud white, violet, light blue and gold streamed wardrobe complete with a matching trench coat and hat. He wore sunglasses and had a snickering grin on his face. Yusei shuddered a little and turned his attention to the second visitor. He was dressed in typical butler garments and also wore a black cap over his head. He was probably the fancy cat's hired hand. Even with the full moon shining, Yusei had a harm time seeing their faces.

"I'm Eddie Gothica, and this is my wingman, Randy."

"Always a pleasure, sir." Said Randy. _He sounds young for a butler._

"Like the get up? All of it's made out of the world famous Egyptian silk. This thing was so expensive, every single article on me had to be shipped in under wraps, and then sewn together here. Right, Randy?"

"Yes, sir. It is indeed the finest silk in Cairo." Randy states as he bowed.

Yusei turned around all the way to stare at the two. It impaired his eyes to look at Eddie, but there was something fishy about both his wardrobe and his education. Especially when Yusei walked towards the pair to take a closer look.

"We 'ere fer Goodwin's lit'l shin-ding and, walking into this quaint little clearing, I just happen ta see the protégé son of the R.R.D. makers! What a coincid'nt. My family came from a long line of scientists 'n inventors, too! I think one of them invented the beautiful rose flower. Isn't that right, Randy?"

Randy bows again. "You're right as ever, Mr. Gothica."

Yusei edged closer as Eddie continued. "Anywho, between us fleecing 'n leeching teenagers, what's say you and me have a lit'l contest. Count in the money to see which of out bank accounts have the most moola stacked in 'em. Whattya say?"

At this point, Yusei was definitely suspicious. "Enough! I don't know what kind of off-key half-wit brain you have in your blonde little head, Gothica, but-"

"Now, hold up!" 'Eddie' rips off his hat to reveal familiar spiky blonde hair and violet eyes. Jack glared at Yusei with the usual amount of respect for the boy, very little. Yusei is shocked a little, but in the end, not that surprised. "What's all this off-key brain nonsense? And to think I was trying to see if we could make a good impression in your fancy little life."

"Finally, I can take this thing off!" 'Randy' aka Crow removed his hat and top jacket. He then stretched and twisted until he was satisfied all in his stressed muscles. "How do these people do it, living like this? 'Yes, sir. No, sir. Very good, sir. Would you like to have another crumpet, sir?' Augh! It's like they're brainwashed or something! I would never want to spend the rest of my days like this!"

"That's good, since you would make a terrible butler!" Yusei laughed. "I doubt you have the certificates needed in such short time to become a chief servant! Also, you're too young."

Crow's jaw dropped. "What? You have to go to school just to pick up after you big dogs?!"

"We are very picky people. And you, Jack." Yusei strolls over to his humorous friend, taking the over-decorated hat. "Everyone knows that the best silk in the world comes from Thailand, or India. Egyptians were famous for their exports on linen and cotton. Besides, anyone here with half a brain can see that outfit is made out of polyester."

"See, I told you!" cried Crow. Jack just shrugs.

"And, another thing! Claiming your relation to people who invented a rose? You're going to have to do a lot better than that in order to fool anyone here!"

Jack swiped back his hat. "Well, aren't we the little detective. Lucky for the both of us, no one here had so much as one-quarter as much brains as you did!"

Yusei laughed again. He wouldn't admit it to the two of them, but Yusei was so glad that Jack and Crow came. They gave him something to have an interesting conversation over. "Thanks, Jack. By the way, how did you two get in here?"

Jack started, but Crow stepped in. "Allow me, sire! (A-hem) When you left Yuse, Blister decided to hack into the email from your house to plan ahead for another one of your getaways. He copied an email stating how you and your parents were invited to Goodwin's mansion for, uh, something. So Blister got busy and worked his magic. He hacked into the mainframe and added a few 'extra special guests' to the list."

"What?!" Yusei was amazed and impressed at the same time. He figures he needed to remember to ask Blister for some hacking lessons. "He can't do that! It's not possible! The firewalls and safeguards are impossible to get through! I know, I tried."

"Blister found a way." Crow grinned, "Anyways, he added an 'Eddie Gothica' and his private servant 'Randy Rodd' to the checklist. We had a bunch of costumes that we spruced up a little that could pass of as rich threads in the hidey hole, but we argued who would play the rich man and who would be the lowly butler. So, we dueled to see who would win."

Jack stood proudly. "And guess who did, Yusei."

Yusei pretended to think it over. "Uhh…Crow! But he saw what sort of outfit you were willing to wear in public and decided to give the win to you!"

"Yes, it w-w-what!? No! I won! Why can't anyone believe that?!?" Jack stomped around angrily, cursing underneath his breath. Yusei chuckled out loud as Crow scooted closer to Yusei and whispered, "Even though they didn't see the outfit, Bruno and Blister was still praying for me!" Yusei laughed even harder.

**~Back in the party~**

Carly and Akiza finally made it to the party, elegantly walking down the grand staircase to find anyone familiar. The friends walked to the buffet table and picked up two plates full of exotic munchies and tiny snacks made out of bread and fruit. Eating and giggling, they wandered around the ballroom a little until Akiza's cell phone began to ring, the caller ID showing as "Mom &Dad". The two girls shuffled to one corner of the room so that they could hear the Izinskis over the crowd.

Akiza answered. "Hi mom, hi dad! How are you?"

"Hello sweetie, we're fine." Came a light and feminine voice. Setsuko's voice was accompanied by the sounds of car horns and tires screeching in the background. "I just called to say we're going to be a little late. There was a small accident on the route we're taking, but it's nothing serious. We'll make it in 10 to 15 minutes."

"Oh, okay." Akiza tried not to sound too disappointed. "So, uh, how's daddy?"

"Your father's fine, just a little hot under the collar. You know how much he hates waiting for traffic to move."

"Yeah, I know. I'm here at the ball with Carly, so we'll be waiting for you until then."

"Thanks sweetie. Love you!" There was a click on the other end as the line went dead.

Akiza suddenly felt tired, and a little bit depressed. She hoped that her parents would get here soon. The last time they said they were running late, she had to wait 2 hours before they finally got home. She sighed warily as Carly tugged her arm playfully.

Carly nudged Akiza to the bustling crowds. "Don't worry about them, Akiza! They'll come, I just know it! Come on, let's find something else to do while we wait! This is a great idea!"

Carly and Akiza went mingling around the floor, finding any entertaining guest or any form of interesting topics to chat about. Unfortunately, the only thing the people here like to talk about was either their vast wealth or how dangerous the "common" world can be. Akiza rolled her eyes at the bleak conversations and continued walking around in futile circles while Carly followed closely; she was almost three times as bored as Akiza was.

"This is a horrible idea!" Carly moaned as she slowly nibbled on some orange baked mooncakes and chocolate-covered strawberries. "Mm, this is good. Anyways, what in blazes was I thinking? These people are about as interesting as watching paint peel off the wall. Seriously, Akiza, what do you do for fun at these things!?"

Akiza thought this over as she silently bit into her oven-roasted crab. "Fun? You mean besides talking about how rich we are, right? Um…Well…I…We could…Sorry, I got nothing. Is that alright with you?"

Carly continues to eat her mooncakes. "Mmm, yes… Wait, what? No! There has to be something interesting going on here! We can't just sit around and talk about things we really don't care about! That's what Sherry would say if she was here! I miss her so much!"

"Yeah, I miss her, too! Knowing her, she would've got us kicked out for starting a fight with one of the guests…Again."

Carly got up quickly and took Akiza's hand. "Let's go to those stone podiums outside. I think it's me, but it feels stuffy in here. And I'm not talking about the heat!" Carly lead Akiza past the open glass doors and hanging drapes, ignoring her fruitless protests as they arrive at the landing. "C'mon Akiza, let's go out here. It's not like someone interesting is going to bump into us out-OOF!"

Carly collides with Jack and almost trips backwards, her glasses falls to the floor. As Akiza caught Carly from behind, Jack quickly stoops down and scoops up her glasses. "Sorry! Really sorry! I didn't see you there." Jack states as he gives Carly her glasses. Akiza blinks as two more men come up after him, one a butler and one she remembers seeing somewhere…

"Jack! Are you bothering people, again!" Yusei scolds at him, "I swear it's a miracle someone didn't stare at you until their eyes bled because of your so-called…"

Seeing that Carly was okay, Akiza left her side to interrupt Yusei. "Um…excuse me."

Yusei turned his attention to Akiza. "Yes?"

"Are you, Yusei Fudo?"

Yusei stared at Akiza hard, not sure what she wanted. Then he became mildly alarmed. _Wait a minute! That's-! She's-! That's definitely-... I've never met her face to face before! Hmm, she's kind of cute up close. _"Yes. Do I…know you?"

Suddenly Akiza wrapped her arms around Yusei's neck and hugged him like an old friend. Crow, Jack, and Carly are all taken back by the sight. "Mr. Fudo! It's so great to finally meet you! You're such an exciting man!" Yusei twitches uncomfortably at first, but then relaxes. It's not every day that a cute girl would hug you for no apparent reason.

Yusei smiles to himself as he returns Akiza's hug. "It's nice to meet you too, Akiza."


End file.
